


for you only

by voltory



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Established Relationship, Fluff, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Oh man its also half galra keith, One Shot, Or maybe half altean lance is better??, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, as ryna called it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-20 07:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14890562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voltory/pseuds/voltory
Summary: "Be mine," Keith mumbles, pleas, against Lance's lips, unwilling to pull away."Yes," Lance whispers, smiling as Keith brushes their lips together again, pressing up and forward to kiss Keith properly. "You too... be mine, too.""I am," Keith tells him when they break apart reluctantly, their foreheads pressed together, tip of their noses touching, Keith's arms squeezing Lance gently in their hold around his waist and lower back. "I'm yours."





	for you only

**Author's Note:**

> okay so when i met my friend ryna ([@starynsart](https://twitter.com/starynsart) twitter) i accidentally commissioned her by buying too many coffees for her bc her art is so good, i love it ok. so when she opened commissions for real i jumped right in and we started tossing ideas around for a klance piece and ended up going with galtean!klance. every time she showed me the progress i got so excited because her art is so beautiful and sweet and full of feeling and it inspired me to write this piece. it's just a bunch of sweet sweet fluff, i hope you guys enjoy it. ♡♡♡
> 
> thank you, ryna, you continue to be a huge source of inspiration and we just met. i'm glad to be your friend. and thanks for putting up with me when i stress about my fics and for all your suggestions and lowkey beta reading role ^^ 
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> twitter: [@starlnce](https://twitter.com/starlnce)

"You already look perfect," Allura tells Lance, walking closer to stand behind him as Lance leans closer to the mirror of his vanity, pulling down on the bottom lid of one of his eyes with a soft grunt because _no,_ he doesn't look perfect.

"My pores are huge," he mutters, grabbing his concealer and dabbing it under his eyes.

"No, they're not," Allura huffs.

"It looks like I haven't slept in days," Lance continues, ignoring her and whining softly. He hadn't actually been sleeping that well lately, staying up way past midnight almost every night as he curled against his window, staring out at the stars while his heart hammered against his chest at what he was planning, imagining.

"You can barely see a little bit of dark under your eyes," Allura scoffs, moving next to him and grabbing the earrings Lance set aside, helping him put them on carefully.

"Maybe I shouldn't do it after all, maybe I should just treat it like a regular date, enjoy the night, come back to my room and sleep for three days," Lance huffs, his shoulders slumping and back bowing forward but Allura presses her fingertip lightly against the middle of his spine and he straightens up again.

"Nonsense," she hums softly, moving to his other side to clip on the rest of the earrings there. "You've been planning this for so long and tonight is the perfect time to do it."

"What if he says no," Lance whispers, lifting his gaze to look at himself in the mirror, pouting his bottom lip outward and blinking quickly a few times as he feels those anxious tears try to pool against his eyes.

Allura pulls back her hands when she's done clipping on the final earring, reaching with both arms around Lance to grab the circlet in front of him, lifting it slowly and tucking it on his head, pulling out random locks of his curly hair from under it to frame his face better.

"He won't say no," Allura tells him and her voice rings with confidence, making Lance relax as he looks at himself once again, leaning closer one more time to look at his reflection, trying to find a flaw.

"Okay," he nods, curling his fingers into a tight fist in an attempt to control the butterflies in his stomach, shutting his eyes tightly until he can see stars before opening them again. "You're right. Only a crazy person would say no to a face like this."

"There he is," Allura laughs, holding out Lance's tunic in front of him and motioning for him to rise from the chair, clipping it onto his shoulders with a small smile, her hands smoothing down the fabric. "I'm very happy for you, Lance."

"Don't say that until I come back with good news," Lance tells her with a huff, rolling his shoulders once to get used to the weight and glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he has a few minutes to spare but knows that if he lingers in his room any longer he'll cave into his impulse of calling Keith to tell him that he's feeling a bit under the weather.

Which is, unfairly enough, perfect. It was a warm day and some of that heat is still lingering, mixing with the gentle breeze blowing. Lance brushes down his arms lightly with a small smile, content with the fact that he decided to leave them bare today, though that really had been more for Keith than himself. If anything he had initially wanted to cover up as much as he could just to hide the fact that it felt like his skin was buzzing constantly.

He steps out into the courtyard after taking a deep breath, curling in on himself slightly when immediately a pair of arms wrap around his waist, pulling his back flush against a wide chest in a tight embrace. All that nervous energy that was buzzing in him immediately leaves in favor for that deep calm that settles in him whenever he's with Keith. He tilts his head to the side, glancing back and returning Keith's wide grin.

Keith doesn't waste any time, pressing a soft kiss against Lance's temple as his arms retract, leaving only his hands against Lance's waist to turn him around carefully so they're facing each other instead. Lance hears soft footsteps behind Keith and he peeks over his shoulder to see the familiar figure of Shiro walking away and inside the castle.

"Was he here to guard you or just..." Lance trails off, clearing his throat because if Shiro is here to guard Keith then that means they won't _truly_ be alone. Sure, Shiro is always great and keeps his distance but...

"No," Keith shakes his head, moving one of his hands from his waist to press gently against his cheek. "He just tagged along, wanted to visit with his friends here."

"Oh, good," Lance's shoulders relax, leaning into Keith's palm and looking over Keith slowly before pulling away with his arms crossed when he sees his small smirk. "Hey, what's with that face?"

"Oh, nothing," Keith shrugs, taking one step closer to Lance to chase him, leaning down to press the tip of their noses together. Lance doesn't break eye contact, completely comfortable in Keith's presence despite the fact that sometimes he just seems so... big. Their height difference isn't huge, something he's grateful for, Lance thinks it has to do with the fact that Keith isn't _fully_ Galra.

"You look really fancy," Lance mumbles, stepping back again and grinning when Keith stumbles forward, balancing himself at the last second and turning to glare in response to Lance's smirk.

Keith stands straight again after a second of holding his hands out in front of him, brushing his hands over the front of his shirt to smooth it down and then moving his hand to the collar of his cloak, straightening it as well. Lance looks over him one more time, tilting his head at the formal wear that he's only seen Keith in a handful of times when there are royal meetings or events in the castle. Usually he favors his armor.

In fact, the only thing missing would be his crown. Lance purses his lips together briefly as Keith steps up into his personal space again, a small shudder running down his spine when he feels Keith's warm palm run down his bare arm.

"Says you," Keith whispers softly and Lance is confused for only a few seconds before rolling his eyes fondly. Keith always had the habit of continuing conversations right from where they left off even when there had been a long silence stretched between them.

"This is normal for me," Lance tells him even though it definitely isn't and they both know it. He picked out this outfit so carefully though, went to the tailor so many times to get help on it being the perfect fit, the perfect color, the perfect style for Keith to be blown away.

Keith's eyes glint in the dark a bright yellow suddenly as he looks over Lance, making him grin. Guess he found the perfect combination after all, just the right mix to be enticing _and_ endearing. His lips part into a smile and Lance grins back, holding out his hand for Keith who takes it carefully in his as his grin widens and shows off his sharp teeth.

Lance used to get concerned whispers against his ears from his friends about this, all of them wanting to know if it was scary, if Keith ever acted a bit too rough, or if his teeth were as sharp as they looked. Lance had sobered up at that comment always and with a straight face said, "Only when he wants them to be." As if he had any experience getting bitten by Keith... back then that is.

Lance ducks his head as he guides them down the familiar path, giving Keith's hand a light squeeze in his, reaching outward to brush aside the branches of trees and flowers that hang in their way but Keith beats him to it, clearing their path with his free arm.

He can feel Keith's warmth behind him every time they bump into each other and snicker at each other for stumbling, Lance turning from time to time to walk backwards as Keith fumbles to guide him and push aside anything he could get caught on. Lance had always joked that he could walk through a room full of booby traps and never even notice as Keith fought all of them off.

 _Except you would notice_ , Keith had told him with a roll of his eyes as he tugged gently on Lance's cheek. Lance had sharp eyes, analyzed everything around him, could spot the smallest detail and figure out whether or not he would need to remember it later. Could charm his way out of anything and if needed he could fight, after all he was one of the best warriors of Altea. _Whatever,_ Lance had told him, sticking out his tongue. _The point is if I wanted to be careless I could be._ Keith couldn't argue with that.

When they finally reach the building they were searching for Keith opens the door for Lance, he rushes immediately to the window, hopping up on it and turning back to look at Keith, stricking a pose, and shooting a wink to Keith before snapping his fingers into finger guns. Keith snorts, the door shutting with a click behind him.

Lance swings his legs slightly back and forth as Keith walks closer to him, resting his hands against his shoulders with a small smile when Keith crowds into his space and settles between his legs, his head tilted up to look at Lance.

"You look tired," Lance hums, tapping a fingertip gently against Keith's cheek. "Have you been using the stuff I gave you at all?"

"No, sorry," Keith tells him with a huff, his bottom lip jutting out into a pout for a second. "Too busy. I am tired but... I'm starting to feel a lot better now that I'm here with you."

Lance grins before brushing his fingertips against his cheek again, tracing the mark on Keith's cheek slowly before sliding both arms around his neck, pulling him close as he leans down to press their foreheads together. Lance thinks he knows exactly what Keith means, he can barely feel the soreness of his muscles after training yesterday, or that urge to yawn from not getting enough sleep.

"I missed you," Keith whispers, his eyes sliding shut, a small smile on his lips. " _So_ much."

"I missed you too," Lance murmurs softly, nudging his nose gently against Keith's before tilting his head so he can tuck Keith's head under his chin. He starts to feel that buzz of energy again at his fingertips and shuts his eyes when the marks on his cheeks start to glow softly. There might actually be some energy down there trying to burst through.

"Are you okay?" Keith asks and Lance feels his fingertips pressing against the marks on his arms, his head moving until he finally manages to pull himself free from under Lance, leaning back to stare over him again. "You look a bit tired too."

"Oh, you know," Lance laughs, shrugging his shoulders and gripping at the fabric of Keith's tunic to pull him close again. "I  _have_ been having some trouble sleeping but it's on me. You didn't have to point it out, you know? Jerk."

"Could say the same to you," Keith huffs, raising one of his perfect eyebrows that he doesn't even have to groom ( _unfair_ ) and giving Lance one of his _looks_. The one he learned from Shiro from being on the other side of it multiple times, the one that says _don't sass me, young man._

The thought makes Lance snort and he moves his hands to cup Keith's cheeks, pushing them together and massaging them until Keith's straight lips turn into a smile, his eyes turning into crescent shapes, cheeks pushing up against them. Lance lets out a soft sigh at the sight, moving his hands from his cheeks to curl his fingers around Keith's hair before he leans down enough to press a soft kiss against Keith's lips. He hears and feels the happy hum Keith let's out but he pushes him back with a gentle hand as Keith rises for another kiss, hopping off the windowsill instead and walking past him.

"Where are you going?" Keith complains as Lance walks off to one of the chests in the corner of the room, following him and peeking over his shoulder as Lance digs through the various costumes and props inside before he finds what he's looking for. He grins, pulling out the crown and turning to Keith, raising himself on the tip of his toes to fit it snugly over his head.

"Just thought something was missing to complete the look," Lance tells him with a shrug, grinning as he reaches inside again and grabs one of the Altean swords made out of foam, turning to swipe at Keith's side with it. "Oooh, your reflexes are slow, huh?"

"No," Keith huffs, his stance going from relaxed to guarded immediately, eyes darting to the chests in search of another foam weapon to counterattack Lance but suddenly Keith drops from his position, reaching inside instead to grab the other crown that was inside the chest and approaching Lance carefully.

"Aw, Keith, come on," Lance whines, tapping the sword against Keith's side a few times in search of ticklish spots but dropping his hand to his side as Keith stops in front of him to perch the crown on top of Lance's head.

"I would just die for you," Keith tells him, tracing one of the curls framing Lance's face with his thumb and forefinger before he lets go. "There, now we match."

Lance... thinks it's unfair. Unfair how every single one of Keith's actions seem so smooth, so nice. Unfair how they send his heart racing and cheeks blushing and marks glowing. He clears his throat and turns away, scrunching his nose because _he_ was the one that was supposed to make Keith feel like this right now. He was the one that was going to leave Keith breathless but instead here he is, trying to catch his breath and calm his heart and--

And Keith tucks his head against Lance's shoulder, hugging him close again, making Lance drop the foam sword he had been playing with in favor of placing his hands gently over Keith's, tracing over the smooth skin there, fingertip traveling lightly over the veins that are prominent even when his arms are relaxed.

"I really would," Keith tells him, their cheeks pressed together lets Lance feel how his jaw moves with every word. "I would die for your sake."

"I don't think you'll ever have to do that so don't worry, buddy," Lance tells him, snorting but in truth he feels a warmth bloom in his chest, one that makes him curl his fingers around Keith's arm possessively, protectively.

"Just letting you know," he feels Keith shrug before he's guiding Lance back to the window, his breath brushing against Lance's neck when they finally make it there and Lance rests his hands against the windowsill, staring out into the night sky.

There's a nervous flutter in his chest but he thinks now might be the perfect time to say what he wants to say. He takes a deep breath, tapping a beat against the window before he tilts his head to the side to look at Keith. Keith who is already looking at him, a small smile on his lips, his gaze soft and affectionate.

"Hey," Keith interrupts him when his lips part and a soft sound comes out of them. "I know I ask this a lot but... did you ever think any of this would happen?"

Lance knows what he means. Already knows that despite all the confidence Keith shows on the outside when they're together he's actually a bit insecure deep down. Specially when it comes to this. Lance takes a deep breath and squirms until he can grab hold of Keith's hands to squeeze them tightly, dropping them to twist around so they're facing each other once again and flicking his forehead with a huff.

"Keith," Lance says, holding out his hand as he steps back, smiling when Keith takes it immediately and lets Lance guide him to one of the benches in the room. "I think it was pretty obvious how this was going to turn out all along. Even though you were a bratty child."

Keith snorts, shaking his head and sitting when Lance pulls him down, leaning his cheek against Lance's shoulder as Lance presses his against the top of Keith's head. Lance probably likes this about the two of them the most, that their roles can alternate, that they can let one another be vulnerable and know they will be comforted. That they don't have to tie themselves to whatever vision other people want to have of them.

"You were worse than I was," Keith tells him, gently grasping Lance's hand and smoothing his thumb over his knuckles. Oddly enough it's a sensitive are for Lance, one that makes him shiver and shut his eyes.

###

Lance and Keith had met each other when they were barely four and five. Part of an unlikely alliance after nearly ten thousand years. A secret one at first. Lance really had no say on whether he wanted to go or not back then. He was just a child, one with vast amounts of privilege, accompanying his family to a meeting like any other. Lance had been somewhat of a miracle child at his mother's age, which wouldn't have been a problem if she had been Altean, and was coddled for it, always in the arms of someone.

He had gotten used to that type of treatment so when after the boring intergalactic meeting had been over and his mother set him down in favor of cooing over another boy, Lance had seen red. He had thrown the biggest tantrum yet as he watched his family pass around the child in their arms, who by the way, wasn't even enjoying the attention the way he should have been. He looked grumpy instead and he wasn't purple like the rest of his family there and--

And he was being set down in front of Lance, who scrambled to wipe at his angry tears and snot to stop his mom from scolding him as he put out his hand politely the way a good prince should to shake Keith's hand. They dropped them off in the playroom of the castle with an adult there to watch over them as they played.

Or in their case, sat across from each other without saying a word.

Things changed a bit as they grew older and Keith spent half the year at Altea. Every time they met again at one of those boring and super long meetings they were expected to hang out together afterwards. It took a turn when Keith was eleven and Lance was ten and they found out they both were really into hover bikes and piloting.

After they had spent the day showing off their moves to each other, Lance had snuck him into the hangar of one of the lions, their mouths opened with excited grins as they stared up at the blue lion behind her force field. Lance had already tried many times to break through to her because he always thought the color suited him, that one day he could be her paladin when it was time for her to choose someone else.

And then those casual hangouts turned into a different and deeper type of friendship, one where a thirteen year old Keith showed up at his balcony with tears dragging down his cheeks as he told Lance that he still didn't feel like he belonged, that he missed Earth, that he was confused. Lance had always opened glass door wide enough for Keith to slip inside, both of them tucked into the bed after Keith had calmed down, facing each other as Lance patted his arm gently to keep him soothed. Made their connection grow deeper because Lance knew what he meant, how he felt, both of them mixed with the human race. Lance also missed Cuba all the time, but he got to go back every summer to spend it at the beaches and curled up next to his abuelita on her plastic covered couch. Listen to her stories as she spoke to him in Spanish to keep him fluent and stroked over his cheeks and ears calling him _mi niño precioso_. Keith didn't have any of that, barely had his mom when she wasn't out fighting for the war.

Turned into a sudden confession in the middle of an Altean party as the two of them sat outside, watching fireworks explode in the sky, the tips of their fingers touching. A kiss pressed against Lance's blushing cheek, his heart hammering in his chest when he turned to look at Keith. Eighteen year old Keith confessing to feelings Lance hadn't been able to name quite yet, a Keith that gripped Lance's fingers gently and didn't look dejected at his silence but only brave and confident.

"You don't have to feel the same way," Keith had told him and Lance's throat suddenly felt dry. "And you don't have to feel bad for me if you don't, or bad in general because I know how you are. I just wanted you to know. Not telling you felt like lying."

"Okay," Lance had whispered, blinking quickly and giving Keith's fingers a gentle squeeze before pulling his hand back, not missing the way Keith's gaze faltered. "I don't... have experience with this..." Not this particular feeling at least. The one gripping hold of his heart tightly as the lights reflecting against Keith's skin switched from blue to red to pink and every other color the fireworks turned into.

Keith's eyes had flashed yellow briefly at that, his head turning to look to the side and Lance followed his gaze, spotting one of his ex-boyfriends running around, chasing a girl with long pink hair. He bit down on his lip because he knew what Keith was implying, that he was lying, that he definitely had experience and all Keith had to do was bring up all the times Lance had stormed into his guest room announcing he had found the love of his life and only to two weeks later announce his break up with a sniffle and comfort goo in a bowl.

Then Keith's gaze flitted to another place and Lance sighed, resigned as he looked there as well and saw one of his ex-girlfriend's sitting with her legs inside a pond as she stared up at the sky and pointed with her fingers to the fireworks, curling her fingers at them as if she were trying to grip the bright colors in her hand.

"Keith, that's not what I meant," Lance said, turning to look at Keith again but finding he was alone. He stood, stumbling as he balanced himself on the slope and turned around until he finally spotted Keith's retreating back, his hands curled into fists at his side, feet stomping as he made his way back to the castle.

Which eventually led them to being held by the ear by Allura and Shiro and shoved into each other's personal space. With Lance's heart hammering in his chest as he looked at Keith for the first time after so long, after Lance not saying the right thing as Keith poured his heart out to him. His eyes dart over Keith's face, lingering on his thick and dark eyebrows, looking down quickly when he see's Keith's angry and twisted lips.

"Make nice," Lance hears Allura say before she's out of the room with Shiro in tow.

It's quiet for a long time as they both take a few steps back, Lance looking over Keith with his lips pursed because now he's had time to think about it. Now he knows that he's been feeling exactly the same thing but was confused because all his previous relationships had just been flings, something to distract himself with until he saw his partners shift from I'm dating _Lance_ to I'm dating the _prince._

And it's unfair because Keith looks good, looks exactly like a prince from fairy tales should, slim and strong and tall, he's starting to gain on Lance by a few centimeters but he doesn't mention it and Keith doesn't boast about it because they always knew it was a possibility. Galra genes and all. The only way Lance can even tell is because the tip of their noses aren't leveled anymore.

"Haven't seen you in a while..." Lance says after a few minutes of silence stretch between them. Keith has turned away, his arms crossed, gaze firmly on the other side of the room and away from Lance.

"Yeah," Keith mutters, sniffing once before he finally looks up to Lance.

"Can you just... Tell me how you feel maybe?" Lance asks him, a bit desperate as he looks at Keith, itching to reach for his hand or his shoulder, to grab his attention the way he always does.

"I already did that, Lance," Keith mutters angrily, glaring at him. "And you rejected me. Maybe I need some space from you to deal with that, did you ever think about that?"

"I didn't reject you, Keith!" Lance shouts, getting closer to Keith and grasping his shoulder. It makes Keith gasp softly but he immediately turns defensive again, pulling away.

"Then what was that? What else could I think when you said you didn't have experience with relationships?"

"I just..." Lance trails off with a huff. "Listen, Keith, it's just difficult for me to accept... To tell you that..."

Keith uncrosses his arms when he sees Lance struggling, stuttering over his words, his mouth opening and closing again and he steps back in front of Lance again, almost as close as they had been when Shiro and Allura shoved them into each other. Lance can hear his heartbeat running quickly against his ears and he clears his throat once before he takes a deep breath.

"I'm... sorry," he hears Keith say just as he's about to confess his feelings back. "I said you didn't owe me anything and that I didn't expect you to return my feelings. It's not your fault if you don't feel the same... I'll... I'll get over it, Lance. I promise. I just need some time away from you. Can you at least give me that much?"

Lance bites his lip as he looks over Keith's expression, his eyebrows are furrowed together, his bottom lip jutted out into a small pout and shoulders drooping. Completely different from his body language whenever the two of them are together. Keith always stands tall next to Lance, always has an easy smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"No," Lance says, filled with sudden resolve. "I don't want to give you any time."

He sees Keith's outraged expression but doesn't let it break his resolve as he takes a step closer to Keith, gripping him by the collar of his black t-shirt, his fingers curling tight enough to ruin the fabric as he tugs Keith down just those few centimeters. He thinks about stealing a kiss but isn't sure if Keith would be happy with a moment like that, watches instead as Keith widens his eyes, stumbling into Lance but Lance is strong enough to keep both of them upright.

"No?" Keith asks, his eyes darting down to Lance's lips as if he's thinking the same thing before he meets his gaze again.

"No," Lance says again, shaking his head. "I don't want to give you any time to get over me because I like you too, Keith. I... I might even love you a little bit."

"Huh?" Keith asks, blinking quickly and Lance finds it endearing enough to laugh softly, making Keith smile in turn. "Really?"

"Yes," Lance tells him, letting go of his tight grip on Keith's shirt, attempting to smooth down the fabric before he gives up and instead lets his palm travel to the back of Keith's neck, pressing his fingertips gently against it.

"Can we kiss?" Keith asks him softly, tilting his head slowly so the tip of their noses brush together.

Lance hums softly in response, watching with a smile as Keith closes the distance between their lips, shutting his eyes when he finally feels the soft pressure of Keith's lips against his own, their mouths slotting together perfectly. It feels _right,_ Lance can't help himself as he throws both arms around Keith's neck, pulling him closer as Keith's arms slide around his waist, their heads tilting in opposite directions as they deepen their kiss slightly.

"Be mine," Keith mumbles, _pleas_ , against Lance's lips, unwilling to pull away.

"Yes," Lance whispers, smiling as Keith brushes their lips together again, pressing up and forward to kiss Keith properly. "You too... be mine, too."

"I am," Keith tells him when they break apart reluctantly, their foreheads pressed together, tip of their noses touching, Keith's arms squeezing Lance gently in their hold around his waist and lower back. "I'm yours."

###

"How long are you staying this time?" Lance asks Keith after they both wander back to the window, Lance tracing the stars with his fingertips on the window, drawing new constellations and pointing them out to Keith so he can name them for Lance.

"As long as you want me to," Keith tells him and Lance grins, looking at him from the side, scooting closer into Keith, feeling a thrill in him as the latter places his hand against his hip lightly.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, babe," Lance tells him, smiling and watching as Keith moves his free hand to brush Lance's hair to the side, his palm moving to cup his jaw gently.

"How do you know I can't keep it?" Keith asks, his eyebrow raised, thumb grazing gently the bottom of Lance's lip.

"I want you to stay forever," Lance tells him, turning so he's facing Keith, pulling his head away from Keith's hold.

"Well-" Keith starts but Lance holds up his hand, shaking his head and reaching to press his finger against Keith's lips, shushing him gently.

"I want you to stay with me forever," Lance tells him, starts over because he's been here in their special hideout, the most romantic place in Altea if you ask Lance, with Keith for a few vargas now and he's at ease, content, the nerves gone and replaced with excitement. He never had a fixed speech, just things he knew he wanted to say, so he takes a deep breath, pulls up his mental list and he starts.

"Keith," he says and Keith tilts his head, his lips parting slightly as if he wants to say or ask something but he keeps it in. "I know I always say that any fool could see how the two of us would end up but half of the year I wake up and I know you're in the room across from mine and I still can't believe it. Can't believe that we reached this point in our lives somehow, that we found each other even after misunderstandings, that you waited for me as I explored my feelings with other people before you told me what you felt for me."

Keith is wearing a slightly choked expression but he doesn't interrupt Lance, instead leaning closer as he listens, his beautiful eyes shining as he stares.

"And you know..." Lance continues, sniffling once because he's starting to feel a bit emotional but he doesn't want to cry just yet, doesn't want to give in to those few tears he can feel. "You've given me the most wonderful relationship since we started dating. You've always been so respectful, and sweet, kind, _loving_ , attentive, playful. Crazy right? You're so playful and people always think you're a stick in the mud when they first meet you," Keith snorts at that, reaching for Lance and pulling him close against his chest by the waist, pressing a kiss to his forehead but remaining quiet.

"My mom and dad love you," Lance continues, resting his hand against Keith's chest as he looks up at him and he thinks Keith maybe is starting to get an idea of where this is going but he's going to let Lance say everything he wants to say the way he always does. "And I love you... I love how you always know what to do when I'm sad, or how you show up at exactly the right times, how you've never let me down and always show up even when you're busy. I love that you put me first, I love that you trust me to do the same."

Lance pulls away from Keith's hold, smiling when Keith lets him but still keeps his arm raised, his fingers curled towards him as Lance reaches into the inner pocket of his tunic, grabbing the silver ring inside and curling his fingers around it as he pulls it out. Keith tilts his head to the side, his lips trembling slightly and Lance recognizes the gesture as one he makes when he has something he wants to say but doesn't want to interrupt.

"This is for you," Lance says, holding out his hand, unfurling his fingers to reveal the thin silver ring with a blue gem that shimmers in the moonlight. "If you accept it... With it... with it..." he wavers slightly, the nerves suddenly catching up to him again but he looks to Keith, sees his wide grin, and takes a deep breath. "I pledge to be yours forever... to love you, to protect you. A promise to be with you until the end of time."

Keith swallows once, meets Lance's gaze, a soft breath leaving him that sounds like an incredibly fond laugh as he takes a step closer to Lance, raising a hand to touch the ring with a fingertip before he looks at Lance.

"Do you accept?" Lance asks him, blinking quickly.

"Yes," Keith whispers softly, resting his left hand against Lance's open palm as Lance grabs the ring from it and slides it into Keith's ring finger with a small smile, his heart hammering quickly against his chest, a flush taking over from his neck to the tip of his nose and cheekbones.

"Thank you," Lance says, bending his head down enough to kiss the ring on Keith's finger gently.

He gently lowers their hands and let's go, looking up at Keith and smiling, fully intending to pull him close for a kiss but instead he's met with a different sight. He watches as Keith fumbles around with his pockets, suddenly dropping on both knees in front of Lance as he holds out a ring nearly exactly the same as the one he now wore except this one had a red gem nestled in the middle of it.

"Wha..." Lance trails off, looking down at Keith, his eyes dashing back and forth between the ring and Keith's elated look, a soft squeak leaving him when Keith laughs, the emotion behind it stronger than Lance had ever heard from him before.

"Surprise?" Keith asks with a smile, reaching for Lance's hand and Lance lets out a flustered and slightly panicked giggle as he grips Keith firmly and pulls him to his feet.

"You don't... on the... your knees... and-" Lance trails off, swallowing thickly as he looks at Keith before he glances down at the ring again, unable to look away from it because...

"You beat me to it," he hears Keith's soft voice say as he pulls Lance's left hand up, pressing down on his palm gently until Lance holds his fingers straight. "I want to make the same promise to you, Lance. I'm making that same promise to you, to be yours forever, to love you, to protect you... until the end of time."

Lance wants to look at Keith, he really does but he can feel a few happy tears pooling on his eyes so he nods instead, watching as the ring slides into his finger finally, a perfect fit. He waits for a second, takes it in, pursing his lips before he smiles and tilts his head up to look at Keith. He grins when he finds Keith already staring at him, the way he's been all night since they met up.

Neither of them moves and Lance knows it's because they both want to stay in the moment, linger in it a bit longer so it's locked away in their memories forever. The two move at the exact same time, in sync as Lance wraps his arms around Keith when Keith moves to hug him around the waist, lifting him off the ground a few inches and spinning them around. Lance can't help but laugh, burying his face against Keith's shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and rubbing his cheek against it to wipe away his own tears against the fabric on Keith's shoulder.

Keith sets him down after a few more spins, crowding Lance against the wall, both of them a bit dizzy. He cups Lance's cheek in his palm again, rubbing gently against his cheekbone right below where Lance's Altean marks are before he leans down, his lips capturing Lance's in a slow kiss.

Lance lets his eyes drop shut, his lips slotting against Keith's perfectly, hand reaching upwards to curl his fingers around Keith's wrist, grounding himself to reality as his mind gets fuzzy with overwhelming feelings. Keith pulls back, their lips only a breath away.

"Baby," Keith says softly and it sends a thrill through Lance, hearing pet names from Keith is so rare he always melts when he does hear them, specially when they're whispered against his lips this way. He presses a soft chaste kiss into Lance again before he continues to mutter softly. "My baby, I love you. I love you, I love you, I _love_ you."

Lance is starting to feel dizzy again, grinning as he cups Keith's face, muttering back soft praises and sweet nothings, giggling with Keith when they both say the same ones at random. Humming softly as he feels Keith squeeze his hips gently, tugging gently at his hair every time.

When Lance is back in his room, after gushing to a sleepy but happy for him Allura he finally retires to his bedroom, glancing constantly down at the ring on his finger, one that looks natural on him as if it had always been there, one that makes him feel a happy flush against his cheeks and a bittersweet ache in his chest that longs for Keith. He's just turning off the lights when he hears a soft tap against the window of his balcony, he approaches it slowly, hand curling around his leg, ready to materialize his bayard just in case.

He doesn't have to worry because he finds Keith on the other side, already in his PJs, his hair down from the ponytail he had been wearing. Lance opens the glass doors and looks at Keith with a raised eyebrow. The words _your room is across the hall from mine_ die on his lips as Keith leans close, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss, pulling back with a small smile.

Lance is about to invite him inside, to ask him to curl up with him, to hold him close as they sleep when Keith suddenly winks at him, says, "I love you," softly and swings off Lance's balcony again. Lance groans, running to the edge of it and glancing down, spotting the reflective yellow of Keith's eyes as he looks up at Lance, blowing him a kiss. Shiro is there too, shaking his head and Lance thinks he can see a bit of a fond smile there before they're both walking back into through the castles doors. Lance is lucky Keith is also a romantic at heart.


End file.
